Abstract: John V. Briggs, Republican was a member of the Assembly from 1967 to 1976 and a Senator from 1977 to 1981. He was Senate Republican
Whip in 1979. Senator Briggs concentrated on insurance reform, a wider application of the death penalty, and regulations concerning
contractors.

Physical location: California State Archives

Language:
English.

Administrative Information

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], John V. Briggs papers,LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary
of State, Sacramento, California.

Acquisition Information

The California State Archives acquired the John V. Briggs papers following his term in the State Senate.

Alternative Forms of Material Available

Some of the records are on microfilm at the California State Arvchives

Processing Information

This collection was processed by staff of the California State Archives over a period of time and described in a finding aid
in 2001.

Biography

John V. Briggs, Republican was a member of the Assembly from 1967 to 1976. He represented the 35th District, which included
the northern parts of Orange County and the western parts of San Bernardino County. After redistricting took effect in 1974,
he represented the 69th District, which covered part of Orange County, including the city of Fullerton. He then served in
the Senate from 1977 to 1981 for the 35th District, which included parts of Orange Country.
He was born in South Dakota in 1930 and moved to California in 1935. He received an A.A. degree in Business Administration
from Fullerton Junior College, and a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Long Beach State College. He served with
United States Air Force during the Korean Conflict. He married Carmen Nicasio on December 28, 1951. They had three children,
Kathleen, Dan, and Ronald. He worked as an insurance broker.
He was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Elks, Rotary, the Junior Chamber of Commerce, and the Veterans of Foreign
Wars.
After being defeated in two elections, Assembly Member Briggs was elected in the State Assembly of California in 1966.
He first considered a run for Senate in 1973, but put it off because of the on-going debate over redistricting. In 1976,
he was elected to the California Senate representing the 35th Senate District. He served from 1977 until 1981. He was Senate
Republican Whip in 1979. Senator Briggs concentrated on insurance reform, a wider application of the death penalty, regulations
concerning contractors. He was a proponent of a number of propositions in the late 1970s: the unsuccessful Proposition 6
(1974) that would have restricted the employment of homosexuals as public school employees; the successful Proposition 7 (1978)
that expanded the number of special circumstances for murder cases that required either the death penalty or a life sentence
without parole, and the successful Proposition 13 (1978) which limited property tax increases.
According to the Legislative Handbooks, he served on the following committees:

California State Assembly, 1967-1976

Standing Committees

Agriculture, 1969, 1971-1972, 1974

*Chair, 1971-1972, 1974

Elections and Reapportionment, 1971-1972, 1975-1976

Finance and Insurance, 1967-1974

*Vice Chair, 1969-1970

Government Administration, 1973-1974

Industrial Relations, 1967-1968

Intergovernmental Relations, 1975-1976

Labor Relations, 1969-1970, 1975-1976

Public Employees and Retirement, 1976

Revenue and Taxation, 1970-1974

Social Welfare, 1967-1968

Joint Committees

Atomic Development and Space, 1970-1972

*Chair, 1970-71

Public Domain, 1973-1976

Select Committees

Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition, 1973-1974

*Vice Chair, 1973-1974

Deepwater Ports, 1974

California State Senate, 1977-1981

Standing Committees

Banking and Commerce, 1981

Business and Professions, 1977-1980

Elections and Reapportionment, 1977-1978

Finance, 1980-1981

*Vice Chair, 1981

Governmental Organization, 1981

Insurance and Financial Institutions, 1977-1980

*Vice Chair, 1977-1978

Transportation, 1977-1981

Select Committees

Governmental Efficiency, 1981

*Chair, 1981

Governmental Investigations and Reports, 1980

*Chair, 1980

Small Business Enterprises, 1980-1981

In addition, as a member of the Assembly, John V. Briggs was a member of the Western Interstate Nuclear Board, 1971- 1972.
On December 28, 1981, Senator Briggs resigned from the Senate. He was registered as a lobbyist with the state of California
from 1983 until 1996, operating a firm with his own name.

Scope and Content

The John V. Briggs Papers consist of Assembly Bill Files, 1965-1976 and Subject Files, 1965-1975. The bill files document
his legislative activity during his term as a member of the Assembly. Assembly Member Briggs concentrated on measures that
would increase consumer protection, restrict smoking in public places, reform insurance regulations, and increase scrutiny
of welfare spending. His 1968 bill, AB 87, was enacted and provided incentives for private employers to hire welfare recipients.
He advocated restrictions on government spending. His subject files provide additional information on Briggs's political concerns,
including his campaign strategies, his relations with the Republican Caucus, and his responses to district and constituent
issues. Particularly rich are the files of newsletters and press releases, which illustrate his continuing concern with controlling
state spending.
The California State Archives does not currently have papers from the period when Briggs served in the Senate.

Arrangement

Arranged into two series: bill files and subject files.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been associated with these materials in the Archives'
automated public access system (currently in development, June 2004).

Subjects

Briggs, John V.

California. Assembly Republican Caucus

Capital punishment--California

Insurance--California--Law and legislation

Proposition 13, 1978 (California property tax initiative)

Related Material

Some information on Assembly Member and Senator Briggs appears in oral histories of California Assembly Member Leon D. Ralph
and Senator Omer L. Rains done as part of the California State Government Oral Histories Program, available at the California
State Archives and other repositories.

Series Descriptions

see LP numbers below

Series 1.
Bill Files1967-1976

Physical Description:
107 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by legislative session, then numerically by bill number.

Scope and Content Note

Bill files created by John V. Briggs may include bill analyses, amendments and resolutions, author's statements, testimony,
press releases, editorials and newspaper clippings, correspondence, committee statements, and other information.

Microfilm copies of bill files are available for the years 1967-1976 as indicated by (mf) following the LP number.

Subject files created by John V. Briggs include correspondence received and sent, memos, reports, newspaper clippings, press
releases, speeches, opinions, analyses, research on proposed and pending legislation, committee activities, and district affairs.

A list of subject headings is available in the master finding aid at the California State Archives.